Car starter and mover.



7 PATENTBD DEG-."25',1 '9"06. 7 0,1). HOWELL. I GA'R STARTER AND MOVER.

' APPLICATION rinnn 00121. 1905-.

GUILFORD D. HOWELL, or APPLETON, Wisconsin.

CAR STARTElR AND, MOVER- I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906' Applicatioil filed October 1, 1906. Serial No. 336.811.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, GUILFORD D. Bowen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ap pleton, in the county of Outagamie and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Starters and Movers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates moreparticnlarly to car starters and movers of the class of that shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 640,227, issued-to me January 2, 1900. a

The main object of the present inventionis' toimprove the construction and operation of devices of this kind.

It consists in certain novel features of construction and in the peculiar arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter particularly described, and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings likeletters designate the same parts in the several figures. t

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car starter and mover embodying the improvements which constitute the present invention asa'pplied to a track-rail and car-wheel, certain parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan View of the device; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the device as adjusted to. oper: ate with greater rapidity upon a lighter load,- certain arts being broken away.

The evice comprises generally a fulcrumblock or shoe a, a lever b, pivoted to the fulcrum-block, and a bearing-block c, pivoted to.

the'shorter arm of the lever.

The fulcrum-block a, which is preferably made of malleable iron, is forked or recessed at its rear end to receive the metal shank d of the lever, which is pivotally connected therewith bya bolt 6. On the under side, at its opposite or front end, it is beveled or inclined to rest squarely on a rail-head when the lever is held at an inclination thereto. It is also formed with a transverse recess in the under side to receive and hold a polygonal spur or fulcrum-bearingf, made of one or more square or other prismatic pieces of steel or hard metal. This fulcrum-bearing is preferably made in two similar parts or sections, which are placed end to end and at a slight vertical angle to each other, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the protruding corners thereof on the under side will engage with both sides or corners of a rounded rail-head and afford a firmer and better support thereon for the device. This spur or fulcrum-bearing, whether made in one or two parts or sections, is secured and held in. place in the blocks, by a clampinglate'g, fastened to said block bya singlebolt ii and formed at its ends with lugs i to project over the ends of the fulcrum-bearing f and prevent endwis'e displacementfthereof, particularly when it is made in two parts or sections, as shown.

The plate g is let into a recess in the under side of the block a, bearing at one edge against a transverse shoulder formed by said recess and underlapping at its op osite edge the spur or fulcrum-bearing. hen this spur or bearing is made, as shown, in two parts or sections, the clamp is apt to bind and hold one more firmly in place than the other, which, except forrthe projecting lugs i on the clamp, might drop out of place and occasion trou le.

The lever-shank d is forked at the end to I receive the semicylindrical shank or ear 4 of the bearing-block, c, which is pivoted therein on a bolt orpin 76. A socket s formed in the lever-shank d to receive a spiral spring l, which is, held under I tension therein and presses at one end against the curved face of the shank? with sufficient force to yieldingly hold thebearing-block c in its normal working relation to the fulcrum-block a and lever b, as shown Fig. 1. on one side with an extended bearing-facefor engagement, with the tread of" a car-wheel when the device is adjusted to start and move heavy loads or cars. This bearing-face terminates atone end of the block in a nose m, which when the block isturned into the position shown by Fig. 3 will engage the tread of a car-wheel at a greater distance from the pivot-bolt 2 than the face n when the bearing-block is adjusted as shown in Fig. 1, and thus afford less leverage for starting and moving lighter loads or cars more rapidly.

A shoulder 0 on the bearing-block engaging with a shoulder or stop 1) on the lever-shank d arrests and holds said block when it is turned forward in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3.

A handle-bar g, a part only of which is shown in the drawings, preferably made of The block 0 is formed wood for the sake of lightness, is bolted to ITO side of the forked end of said shoe and a shoulder s on the shank (Z.

In the operationof the device for starting and moving heavy cars or cars with heavy loads, the bearing-block 0 being adjusted 'approximately to the position .in which itis shown-in Fig. 1, the shoe or fulcrum-block a is thrust forward as far asit Will go between the rail-head and wheel-tread, and the handle-bar is then turned down, exerting an upward and forward pressure through the front end of the shoe and the block 0 against the wheel-tread, "thereby starting and turning the. wheel forward'on the rail, the corner of the spur or'fulcrum-bearingf, which-receives the downward thrust on the lever, engaging with the rail-head and'preventing the'shoe from slipping backward. For starting and moving lighter cars or cars with lighter loads the block 0 is adjusted to' the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, and the device is manipulated in the same manner as above explained.

When the downwardly-projecting corner of the spur f becomes dull, the clamp g is released and the spur is turned in its seat, so as to bring another and sharp corner into operative position. When all the corners'of the spur have been used and have become worn and dull, it is replaced by another spur with sharp corners. 1

The spring Zholds the bearing-block c with its working face upward in working position when the shoe is thrust forward under a wheel, and thus prevents said block from tipping or being thrown forward by its weight or momentum when the starter is being placedin working position and avoids the delay and trouble incident to readjusting it. The bearing-block is also prevented by the spring Z from accidentally tipping or being thrown backward when ,it is adjusted to its forward position, as shown in Fig. 3.

1. In a car starter and mover the combination of a fulcrum-block, a lever pivoted to said block, a bearing-block pivoted to said lever, and a spring interposed between said bearing-block and lever and adapted by frictional contact with one of the connected parts to yieldingly hold said bearing-block in normal working relation to the other parts, substantially as described.

2. In a car starter and mover the combination of a lever forked at one end, a bearingblockpivoted in the forked end of said lever,

its extended bearing-face in working one of said parts being formed with a socket, a spring held under tension in said socket and pressing against the other part with sufficient force to hold said bearing-block in normal working relation to said lever, substantially as described.

'3. In a car starter and mover the combination of a lever forked at one end, a bearingblock pivoted in the forked end of said lever and having a semicylindrical shank or car concentric with its pivot, and a spring confined under tension in a socket in said lever and pressing against the shank of said bearing-piece, substantially as described.

4. In a car-starter the combination. of a lever, abearing-block pivoted to one end of said lever, one of the connected parts having a semicylindrical shank concentric with its pivot, and the other a socket transverse to the pivot, a spring confined under tension in said socket and pressing against the curved face of said shank, and a fulcrum-block or shoe to which said lever is pivoted a short distance from the pivot of said bearingblock, substantially as described.

5. In a car starter and mover the combination of a fulcrum-block having a transverse recess in its under face, a polygonal fulcrum seated in said recess and a clamp bolted to said block against said fulcrum and having lugs projecting over its ends, substantially as described.

6. In a car starter and mover the combination of a fulcrum block having a trans- .verse recess in its under side, a polygonal fulcrum composed of parts which fit end to end. and at an angle to each other in said recess, an da clamp bolted to said block against said fulcrum and formed with lugs projecting over its ends, substantially as described.

7. In a car starter and mover the combination of a lever, a block pivoted to one end of said lever and having an extended bearingface on one side and a nose at one end, a spring interposed between said block and lever'and yieldingly retaining said block with position, said lever and block having stops for holding the nose of the block in working position, and a lulcrum-block to which said le ver is pivoted a short distance from the pivot of said bearing-block, substantially as described.

' In witness whereof I hereto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GUILFQRD D. 'RowELL. 

